Welcome! Bem Vindo! Velkommen!

The implementation of a network of community nuclei in underprivileged communities of the periphery of São Paulo is part of CARF's strategy in asset-based community development. The project, "From Clients to Citizens", which this Blog aims to follow, was developed to stimulate youth in community leadership and to cater for their positive development.

Apart from the capacity building needs of these young people, another important aim with this project is to help diminish the flux of children from underprivileged communities to the streets by expanding our Street Migration Prevention Programme into at-risk communities, where these young entrepreneurs will hopefully continue to expand the actions that this project will help them develop.

After an in-depth and rather tough selection process during the month of July, to decide on who of the seventy competing candidates would gain a place in our Youth Capacity Building Programme, we finally managed to unite the lucky 25 chosen ones for their first day of collective activities on August 21st. at our Hummingbird Arts & Cultural Activity Centre in Diadema, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

Cultural Coordinator, Ivone, invited the 10 girls and 15 boys, aged between 15 and 21, to her little welcoming party, but only on the condition that they each brought along with them some desirable quality to help make her party a success.
So their contributions came in the form of words, but not just any words.
These words represented the kind of party they wished to be part of and they would have to prove their worth at the party by acting out accordingly. Words like LOVE - HAPPINESS - STRENGTH - FRIENDSHIP - HUMOUR - ENTHUSIASM - DISPOSITION - RESPONSIBILITY - RESPECT - PARTICIPATION - PEACE and many others....

Hopefully our young entrepreneurs will continue to share this united experience of a good party throughout the year during the capacity building and training ahead of them.

Two of our youth entrepreneurs and coordinators for this project are Djalma and Carlos, who are also Fellows of the Leaders' Quest Foundation, supported with the help of high-profile leaders from around the World. Coordinating the ASAS do Beija-Flor project will be their first major undertaking in community leadership and very much in line with the objectives of the supporting LQ Foundation.

Carlos and Djalma in action during a training session.
Cultural Coordinator Ivone, responsible for cultivating external contacts and capacities in connection with this project.